When asked by Illinois Review if Congressman Adam Kinzinger had any response to Congressman Don Manzullo's claim that he, as a veteran U.S. House member, was more interested in cutting spending than the freshman Kinzinger (HERE), Kinzinger campaign spokesperson Brooke Hougesen provided the following reply:
"Rather than speaking out as a voice of fiscal responsibility in Washington, Congressman Manzullo joined in the 'big government'movement by voting to support taxpayer funded bailouts, advocating for Obama’s spending projects and voting twelve times to increase the debt limit piling on $5 trillion to our nation’s debt.
"Only when Congressman Manzullo realized he would have his first serious Republican opponent in decades, he began to take drastic measures to correct twenty years of overspending by voting in favor of the RSC budget, which would slash seniors’ Social Security and Medicare and threaten veterans’ benefits all in a desperate attempt to continue his two-decade congressional career.
"It is unfortunate that Congressman Manzullo is now disingenuously following the freshman class’ lead by talking about fiscal restraint when for the last twenty years he supported the failed policies that put us in this mess to begin with.
"In just one year, Congressman Adam Kinzinger and his freshmen class have changed the conversation from how much to spend to how much to cut. His class has brought a fresh approach, with strong, conservative voices that will fight tooth and nail to stop the reckless mistakes of the past by both parties. He will continue to lead this mission in Congress."
Kinzinger and Manzullo's congressional districts were redrawn to overlap, and the two Republicans are facing each other in the March 20th GOP primary for the 16th CD.